Jim Carrey Talks Career, Grandparenthood

By MICHAEL CIDONI LENNOXAP Entertainment WriterLAS VEGASJim Carrey has delivered more than his share of great performances. But this undercover act wasn’t one of them.

While receiving press in a Las Vegas hotel room, he was wearing large sunglasses and a sparking gold patchwork blazer.

That’s about as funny as Carrey would get on this day in Sin City promoting “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone,” opening Friday. The Vegas-set comedy is about a burned-out old-school magician (Steve Carell) threatened by a newcomer (Carrey) who’ll literally risk his life to wow audiences and attain fame.

It is perhaps the darkest character that Carrey has ever delivered in an out-and-out comedy.

It’s just the latest transformation for Carrey, who last year had a solo exhibition of his paintings and now has a children’s book on the way–something Carrey said he did in part for his grandson, born to Carrey’s daughter Erin in February 2010.

“Sometimes when you go to a movie, that can be that. But when you read your kid a story, that is just a little slice of heaven,” he said.

Carrey’s also making music, having teamed with indie-rock band The Eels for his new single, “Cold Dead Hand,” which has an anti-gun theme. “Charlton Heston would not like it,” Carrey commented.

“You know, I’m always risking it and pushing it,” Carrey said. “I’ve got nowhere to go. I have no other options. I don’t have a trade.”